[B-Greek] Tobit 5:5
Albert Pietersma
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Wed Apr 9 15:16:09 EDT 2003
Susan Jeffers wrote:
> Greetings B-Greekers!
>
> I'm teaching an online Introduction to Biblical Studies course using the
> NRSV with Apocrypha, and, for the first time, I'm having my students read
> some of the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books. Someone asked a question
> about Tobit 5:5, the part that the NRSV renders "and I have come here to
> work" -- this student is a Spanish speaker and points out that the Spanish
> (Jerusalem Bible I assume) says "ando en busca de trabajo" and commented
> about it.
>
> So of course I wanted to check the Greek, and was surprised to find that
> neither my print LXX (Ralhfs) nor any of the Greek editions in BibleWorks 5
> have this part of the verse. In fact, scanning through the first 10 verses
> of chapter 5, the NRSV is considerably longer than any of the Greek texts I
> have available. I assume this is because, as the introduction to Tobit in
> the NRSV Study Bible (Oxford) points out, the NRSV translation is based on
> the Greek text of Codex Siniaticus.
>
> So here are my questions:
>
> (1) can anyone point me to an online text for Siniaticus for Tobit, so I
> can see what the NRSV is translating?
As Rodney has already noted, Rahlfs does in fact include the so-called S text
on the lower half of each page. The two printed texts are respectively
labeled, BA(top), S(bottom). Hanhart's critical edition in the Goettingen
Septuaginta, labels them GI and GII. The order of the texts reflects
popularity in ecclesiastical use and therefore manuscript attestation.
>
>
> (2) failing that, can anyone tell me the Greek of Siniaticus for Tobit 5:5,
> "and I have come here to work" -- or even the whole verse?
ELHLUQA hWDE ERGATEUESQAI. "I have come here to be employed as a worker"
>
>
> (3) can anyone offer an explanation for "why Siniaticus"? From this
> limited sample it appears the RSV is following Ralfs et al.
The S text of Tobit is the more original text, and is fuller (more expansive)
than the BA text. What one sees with some regularity is that the BA text has
streamlined and pared down its source text (an S-like text). 5:5 is a case in
point. According to the BA recensionist the only important points at issue
appear to be: (1) that Tobias finds Raphael, an angel in disguise, and (2)
that Raphael knows the way to Media and offers to accompany Tobias. All
additional information, extant in S, is stripped away, including the fact that
Raphael was on the scene and the reason for it.
>
>
> (4) if anyone else uses the NRSV for teaching the Apocrypha and knows of
> other things (pitfalls?) I should be aware of, please EMail me offline.
I see no pitfall, as long as one makes clear that in Tobit (as in e.g. Esther)
there is more than one Greek version of the story. NRSV only prints the older
of the two main ones.
Al Pietersma
>
>
> Thanks for all your help! I feel so blessed to be living at a time when
> those who want to study the Bible in Greek can so readily be in
> communication with one another, and so blessed by your assistance!
>
> Susan Jeffers
>
> -----------------------------------------------
> EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org
> Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org
>
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